Cryogenic upper stage of Chandrayaan-3 rocket hits the ocean from space

By siliconindia  |  Thursday, 16 November 2023, 03:19:41 PM IST

Cryogenic upper stage of Chandrayaan-3 rocket hits the ocean from space
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently announced that the cryogenic upper stage of the LVM3 rocket, which carried the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, re-entered Earth's atmosphere uncontrollably. The upper stage eventually fell back to Earth and landed in the North Pacific Ocean.
"The probable impact point was predicted over the North Pacific Ocean. The final ground track did not pass over India. This rocket body (NORAD id 57321) was part of the vehicle (rocket) that successfully injected the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into the intended orbit of 133 km x 35823 km with a 21.3o inclination on July 14, 2023", ISRO said.
The rocket body re-entered the Earth's atmosphere within 124 days of its launch. As per the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), the LVM3 M4 Cryogenic upper stage has a post-mission orbital lifetime that is fully compliant with the "25-year rule" for objects in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
After the injection of Chandrayaan-3, the upper stage of the rocket underwent a process called "passivation". This process removed all residual propellant and energy sources to reduce the risk of accidental explosions, in accordance with the space debris mitigation guidelines set by the United Nations and IADC. The rocket body was then disposed of in adherence to internationally accepted guidelines, which once again demonstrates India's commitment to preserving the long-term sustainability of outer space activities.
Source: IANS

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